Headrests of various designs and construction are used in automobiles and other motor vehicles for head support. Such headrests typically consist of a metal or plastic body surrounded by suitable padding and a cover, supported on a post extending upwardly from the motor vehicle seat back. The body provides a framework to support the padding and cover of the headrest assembly. Such headrests may be adjustable with respect to the seat back.
Previous motor vehicle headrests have utilized bodies made of metal or plastic, typically formed to provide, when covered with padding, a flat or convex finished surface adjacent the passenger's head. Typical post supports used in motor vehicle headrests have included one-piece inverted U-shaped posts and hollow metal tubes. Means for attaching the body to the support post have included welding and insert molding of the body around the post.
When the headrest body is made from blow-molded or injection molded plastic, the post may be joined integrally to the body by providing the post support as a mold insert. However, the use of mold inserts presents several potential disadvantages. The insertion of the post members into the mold during manufacture can be complicated and expensive.
In addition, the presence of metal insert elements in the molded part may also cause uneven cooling and dimensional distortion of the plastic armature. Additionally, removal of flash or other excess material from the finished assembly may be more difficult because of the protruding metal insert. Finally, should one or more of the component pieces shift during the molding process, it may be difficult to rework, repair or salvage the assembly or its components.
Other headrest assemblies generally require various fasteners, such as bolts and nuts for attaching the headrest body to the support rod, and require bushings to allow the pivoting of the headrest body with respect to the support rod. Such fastener and bushing components increase the part count for the headrest assembly and require significant handling, which adds cost to the manufacturing process.
Accordingly, a need has remained for an improved headrest armature design that may be produced reliably at reduced cost.
Another more recent requirement for certain vehicle headrest designs is that the headrest be pivotable between upright and stowed positions, particularly for use with removable or collapsible rear seat assemblies used in trucks and minivans. It is particularly desirable that the headrest be substantially self-locking in both the upright and stowed positions.